>> TWO MONTHS BEFORE THE NOVEMBER MIDTERM ELECTIONS
CONSPIRACY THEORISTS ARE BACK AT
THEIR KEYBOARDS BANGING OUT WILD
ACCUSATIONS THAT ARE PUTTING
SOME CANDIDATES AND SOME STORE
OWNERS ON EDGE.
WE GET THE STORY FROM NBC’S JO
LING KENT.
LING KENT. >> Reporter: ANDREW RICHMOND
NEVER THOUGHT HIS ICE CREAM
CHAIN SWEET JESUS WOULD BE A
TARGET.
TARGET. >> SOME OF THE ALLEGATIONS WE
WERE A PART OF THE ILLUMINATI,
CHILD CANNIBALISM.
CHILD CANNIBALISM. IT’S ICE CREAM AT THE END OF THE
DAY.
DAY. >> Reporter: IT STARTED IN
JANUARY WHEN THE SWEET JESUS
SHOP IN BALTIMORE STARTED
RECEIVING STRANGE MESSAGES ON
THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES
ACCUSING THE OWNERS OF RUNNING
CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING RINGS.
THEY RECEIVED THREATENING PHONE
KAUPS AND
KAUPS AND CALLS AND CONSPIRACY THEORIST
GAVE THEM TERRIFYING COMMENTS.
>> IT’S DISHEARTENING.
>> Reporter: ACROSS THE COUNTRY
IN PORTLAND, OREGON, VOODOO
DOUGHNUTS IS GOING THROUGH
SOMETHING EERILY SIMILAR.
THE MANAGER AT THIS LOCATION
TELLS NBC NEWS OFF CAMERA THEY
ARE GETTING MORE CALLS FROM
CONSPIRACY THEORISTS THAN
CUSTOMERS ORDERING DOUGHNUTS.
ON YELP COMMENTERS ARE ACCUSING
THEM OF CHILD TRAFFICKING.
>> THE FALSE ALLEGATIONS STARTED
FROM PATRIOT RESEARCHERS.
ON TWITTER, FACEBOOK, AND
DISCORD, A CHAT PROGRAM WITH
PRIVATE GROUPS, THEY RAIL
AGAINST POLITICIANS,
AGAINST POLITICIANS, CELEBRITIES, AND BUSINESSES THEY
FALSELY CLAIM HARM CHILDREN.
THEY GAINED TRACTION ON BIG
LEAGUE POLITICS, A FAR RIGHT
MEDIA OUTLET THAT PUSHES
CONSPIRACY THEORIES RUN BY A
FORMER BREITBART REPORTER,
SENATORS LICK TED CRUZ, AND
STEVE SCALISE HAVE USED BIG
LEAGUE TO FUND RAISE.
AFTER NBC NEWS INFIELD OF
CONSPIRACIES PROMOTED ON THE
SITE, CRUZ AND SCALISE SEVERED
THE RELATIONSHIP AND RETURNED
ANY MONEY RAISED.
NUNES DIDN’T RESPOND.
NBC NEWS BROKE THE STORY.
>> I FOUND THAT THERE ARE
HUNDREDS, THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE
CONGREGATING IN SOME OF THE
DARKEST CORNERS OF THE INTERNET
ALLEGING THINGS AGAINST LOCAL
BUSINESSES THAT THEY ARE
INVOLVED IN THESE TERRIBLE RINGS
OF PEDOPHILIA AND THE ONLINE
CHATTER IS HAVING REAL
CONSEQUENCE IN THE REAL WORLD.
>> Reporter: THE THREATS AGAINST
VOODOO DOUGHNUTS GREW OUT OF A
YOUTUBE VIDEO THAT MADE BASELESS
ALLEGATIONS, NOW STIRRING UP
REAL WORLD FEAR.
>> WHEN I TALKED TO A MANAGER,
SHE SAID THAT SHE HAD MET WITH
HER OTHER MANAGERS AND TALKED
ABOUT WHAT WOULD WE DO IF
SOMEONE CAME IN WITH A GUN?
SO I DON’T KNOW WHAT RESOURCES
THEY ARE EXPENDING, BUT I’M SURE
IT’S IN THEIR MIND AND I KNOW
THEY HAVE POLICE PRESENCE SORT
OF AROUND AND ARE THINKING ABOUT
THIS ISSUE.
THIS ISSUE. >> Reporter: IN A STATEMENT,
PORTLAND POLICE TELLS NBC NEWS
BASED ON WHAT WE HAVE SEEN THERE
IS NO INFORMATION TO SUGGEST
THAT ANY OF THE ALLEGATIONS
AGAINST VOODOO ARE CREDIBLE.
BACK AT SWEET JESUS ICE CREAM
THE CO-FOUNDER IS FOCUSED ON
SAFETY.
SAFETY. >> REALLY WORRYING ABOUT THE
FRONT LINE PEOPLE IN THE SHOPS.
I AM IN THE SHOP SOMETIMES.
WE TALK ABOUT LOCKDOWN
PROCEDURES, ABOUT STAFF TRAINING
ABOUT -- WE DID TALK ABOUT HOW
TO DEAL WITH HOSTILE CUSTOMERS’
PHONE CALLS.
PHONE CALLS. ANYTHING THEY GET CONFRONTED
WITH.
WITH. >> Reporter: PORTLAND POLICE IS
ALSO TELLING US AT NBC NEWS THEY
RECEIVED AN ENORMOUS NUMBER OF
PHONE CALLS AND EMAILS ASKING
FROM CONSPIRACY THEORISTS WHY
THE POLICE ARE NOT INVESTIGATING
THESE SMALL BUSINESSES FURTHER.
THE THREATS CONTINUE IN REAL
LIFE, JUMPING OFF OF ONLINE TO
THE OFFLINE WORLD.
JUST LAST WEEK THERE WAS A
THREAT WRITTEN BY A COMMENTER
SAYING IT’S TIME FOR A ROAD
TRIP, LOL.
TRIP, LOL. CRAIG.
CRAIG. >> BIZARRE.
>> BIZARRE. THE WHOLE THING SO BIZARRE.
JO LING KENT THERE IN LOS